Agnes Nitt,
Agnes Nitt is the daughter of Terminal Thomas 'Threepenny' Nitt. At 17 Agnes joined an amateur coven led by Lucy Tockley, who had renamed herself Diamanda to sound more occult. This inspired Agnes to create the pseudonym Perdita X Dream. According to Agnes, the 'X' stands for "someone who has a cool and exciting middle initial," something she sticks to throughout the events of Maskerade, though when she auditions she thinks that she is "probably stuck with the 'Nitt.'" While it seems to be a one-time mention, it is said in Maskerade that the Lancrastian natives refer to Perdita as 'Perditax,' combining the first name and middle initial. Granny even does this at one point and is corrected by Nanny Ogg, who feels as if people ought to call themselves what they want. As a child, Agnes had always blamed "the other little girl" for any wrong doings which may have been the beginning of Agnes' alternate persona. Later she describes Perdita as the voice inside her which wants to do all the fun things that she wouldn't normally do. She uses the name Perdita as her stage name when she becomes an Opera singer and Perdita eventually developed into a full blown second personality. During the events recorded in Lords and Ladies, Agnes has only a small role and Perdita is not much more than an alternative personality. In Maskerade she shows much more independence, but is still more like the subconscious 'voice on the shoulder' than a second persona. However, by Carpe Jugulum, ''Agnes and Perdita appear as fully separate personalities. Agnes is almost unique among the witches in having a second personality - an advantage in that it granted her a partial immunity to mind influence by vampires. The split personality arises in part because of Agnes' latent magical abilities and partly, at least according to those who are inclined to casual cruelty, because: "Inside a fat girl there is a thin girl and a lot of chocolate." - the thin girl being Perdita." Agnes regards Perdita as vain, selfish and vicious. Perdita regards Agnes as a "fat, pathetic, weak-willed blob that people would walk all over were she not so steep." In spite of their differences, Perdita does not seem to have any interest in leaving Agnes's body, merely remaining inside and dreaming ridiculous daydreams. Clearly there are Roundworld parallels in the concept of multiple personalities popularlized by such subjects as Sybil which have now largely been discredited. Perdita's appearance also draws from the Goth lifestyle in popular culture. In appearance, Agnes is short with a naturally rosy complexion, a great personality, and good hair. In fact, Agnes has lots of hair; glossy, enormous hair which never splits, and is extremely well-behaved, except for a tendency to eat combs. As a member of Lucy Tockley's coven, she is initially easily swayed by her more imaginative friends; wearing a black cloak, black hat with a veil and even a black hanky (considered by Nanny Ogg to be "good for hiding the bogeys") all of which gives the effect of a small, low-riding thunderstorm. Even after leaving the amateur coven, Perdita retains her liking for black, considering it "cool". Agnes however, now thinks that "black (is) not a good colour for the circumferentially-challenged, and that 'cool' (is) a dumb word used only by people whose brains couldn't fit a spoon". At some point in her upbringing Agnes has been trained in singing - ''very informally after a fashion - by Nanny Ogg. She has an incredible, almost magical singing voice which gives her the somewhat disquieting ability to reproduce practically any pitch and even to sing in harmony with herself. Perdita in contrast has a rather reedy voice, but insists on joining in. In the events of Maskerade, ''Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax realise that they no longer have Magrit Garlick around to make their tea and do their bidding, the role of the maiden in the coven, so decide that Agnes would be an ideal replacement. Unfortunately for their plans, Agnes has decided to pursue the dream of singing professionally and has traveled to Ankh-Morpork to follow her dream. She supports herself singing in taverns and eventually auditions with the Ankh Morpork Opera. Before moving into the Opera House, Agnes lodges at 4 Treacle Mine Road. Her audition piece - a Morporkian rendition of the heartfelt Brindisian ballad, ''la Canzone di Riccio ''(also known in Überwald as ''Der Igelslied and in Quirm as La chanson du Hérisson) - as taught to her by her mentor Dame Ogg - wins her a place as a singer, however, her career at the Opera House consists largely of 'ghosting' roles for a less competent but more beautiful singer, Christine. Agnes eventually leaves the Opera House at the conclusion of Maskerade, ''realising that when choosing between someone with amazing talent, a great personality and good hair, and someone who merely looks stunning like Christine, the world choses the latter. She also realises that she has little choice when magic calls - that she is a witch first and foremost. She takes over the cottage and steading in Mad Stoat and the role of "maiden" in the Lancre coven. '' ''In ''The Shepherd's Crown, Agnes balances her witchcraft role with her full-time job as a singer, touring as a singer with a theatrical company and practising witchcraft from her base in Quirm. Appearances: Lords and Ladies Carpe Jugulum Maskerade The Shepherd's Crown Category:Characters Category:Males Category:Humans Category:Witches Category:Females